Clifton officials try to reveal illegal drain connections in sewers

Representatives of Global Environmental performing sewer testing in neighborhoods around Patricia Place in Clifton.

CLIFTON – There was plenty of smoke, but to the dismay of city officials, no fire.

Using a jug of liquid vapor and an air blower with a 5-horsepower engine, a contractor on Friday pumped white smoke into underground pipes and through the plumbing system of 150 houses in a Delawanna neighborhood – the latest effort by the city to solve a years-long sewer nightmare there.

Officials had expected the exercise to reveal illegal drain connections into the sewer line on Patricia Place that they thought were contributing to backups of sewage in residents' basements. But after a day of running the smoke machine, the most out-of-the-ordinary thing – aside from an apparently faulty storm pipe – was a cluster of houses that looked like they were running fireplaces in July.

“This is going to be a hard puzzle to figure out,” said City Engineer Nick Villano, as he watched workers from the Bridgewater-based Global Environmental survey the neighborhood for irregularities.

Residents say they have been plagued by waste overflows in their basements for years, mostly since the construction of the Ave luxury apartment complex on Passaic Avenue in 2006. After Hurricane Irene, people were forced to vacate their homes and throw away dumpsters’ worth of precious belongings, including one man who lost the World War II uniform he was to be buried in. Resident Mike Prybicien complained to the City Council after a rainstorm in May that his basement had been filled by 18 inches of sewer water.

The cause of the backups is unclear, but because they are at their worst during heavy storms, Villano is focused on identifying how water is finding its way into the sewer system.

The results of the smoke test show it’s not entering through illegally connected gutter pipes or backyard “area drains,” he said. Next week, Villano hopes to begin inspecting basements to find out whether any homeowners have sump pumps attached to the sewer, though only a third of the residents have allowed him to go in their houses.

Reattaching a pump to the storm water system can cost between $3,000 and $5,000, Villano estimates, but he said the city wants to help, perhaps in the form of low-interest loans.

In a meeting with Villano on Tuesday, residents told him he should focus his energy on the Ave building, which shares the same sewer line as the Patricia Place neighborhood. Widen the pipe, they said, and problem solved.

The solution sounds easy, but Villano said the state Department of Environmental Protection, which must sign off on such a project, likely would not be convinced of the need, given that the city signed off on the Ave’s sewer-hookup less than a decade ago.

The city wouldn’t need the DEP to approval to install a separate line for the Ave, he said. The only problem with that is that it would cost more than $500,000 and there’s no indication that Korman Communities, which runs the complex, would pay the bill. A spokeswoman for Korman could not be reached for comment.

For now, the city is encouraging the Ave to improve its sewer etiquette. A few weeks ago, the sewer department removed a giant ball of baby wipes, grease and paper towels that had built up near the building, Villano said. Just two days later, they returned and it had begun to accumulate again, he said.

City Health Officer John Biegel said an inspector discussed the issue with building management.